The majority of tea-drinkers choose tea bags rather than tea leaves – 96% to be exact. But they may not be aware that some tea bags actually contain plastic! Tea bag brands use polypropylene, a sealing plastic, to keep the tea bags in shape in boiling water. Only a few well-known brands to mention, such as Tetley, PG Tips, Twinnings – their tea bags contain plastic. Even though it’s a relatively small amount when you consider the 6bn cups of tea that are brewed up every year in the UK, it makes around 150 tonnes of plastic waste that is either contaminating food waste compost collections or simply going to landfill. There is also lots of evidence that plastics when heated leak toxins.

Along with a dose of the ritual comfort of drinking tea, there’s also the health-giving benefits of herbal teas, lauded for antioxidants and more. But recent research has uncovered the possibility of pesticides and other carcinogenic chemicals in your tea because tea trees are sprayed with chemicals and pesticides. The research found multiple chemicals in eight out of 10 popular brands tea. Half the teas contained pesticide levels in excess of allowable limits and such brands like Tetley, Lipton and Twinings, were among those highest in pesticide contamination.

It appears that tea market is a dirty business. Tea production requires harvesting the leaves by hand and has long been associated with the poor treatment of workers. They are poorly paid, live in poor conditions lacking privacy and women (they make up 75-85 % of the tea picking workforce) often experience a sexual harassment. The poor treatment of workers is not limited to adults. Reports of child labour have been made on tea plantations across the globe.

Chemicals used in tea plantations have a negative impact not only on the environment, but tea workes too. From direct contact with them, people get cancer and dies. In India, 4 dead elephants were found after they eated grass sprayed with pesticides near the tea plantation. Tea gardens also contributes to deforestation and human-elephant conflict is on going. It makes us double think about how ethical or healthy is our tea. So what can we do about it?

Simply look back at our grandparents. Thyme, linden, chamomile, mint, raspberry, blackberry leaves… Your locally grown and dried herbs are perfect for your ethical an healthy tea! I never buy tea and drink only homemade herbal teas. In the above picture are jars with my herbs picked and dried by me, my mum and aunts. This year I foraged elderflower and shared a detailed post on how to dry it for tea (the jar on a right). But if you are not keen to make your own tea, make sure you buy fairtrade and organic, preferably loose tea.